Cuff-button.



G. L. WEBSTER.

CUFF BUTTON.

VAPPLIOATION FILED FEB. 7, 191a.

WITNESSES zf/g lemog B W 7b Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

CHARLES L. WEBSTER, 0F IPROVIDENOE, RHODE ISLAND.

CUFF-BUTTQN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 7, 1913.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Serial No. 746,701.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cuff- Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cuff buttons or other articles of like form and particularly to cuff buttons of the link type.

The object of my improvement is to provide a button of this character of staunch and rigid structure, simple and inexpensive to manufacture and composed of a less num ber of parts than usual, adapted to be assembled without the use of solder or similar fastening media.

The essential feature of the invention consists in constructing the post, stem or shank and the top plate of the button both in one piece formed from a sheet-metal blank. The ornamental shell or head of the button is then attached to the top plate and a smaller shell or bean applied to the opposite end of the post without soldering them thereto.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, illustrated the accompanying drawings, in which l1ke letters of reference represent like parts.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the sheet-metal blank from which the post and top plate of the button are constructed; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, showing the post or shank members bent up at rightangles to the top plate; Fig. 3, a plan View of the top plate and post, part sectional on the line 00-00 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 2; Fig. 4, a similar view showing portions of the top plate cut away to lighten the structure; Fig. 5, a

perspective view of the completed button,

Fig. 6, a transverse, sectional elevation of the completed button; Fig. 7, a view showlng a modification in the form of the post or shank of the button; Fig. 8, a transverse, sectional view of the post shown in Fig. 7 taken on the line g y. 7

Referring first to Fig. 1, B designates the sheetmetal blank from which the framework of the button, consisting of the post 0 and top plate 6, is formed. This may be constructed of precious metals or plated stock punched or stamped out by the usual method with suitable cutters and dies. The top plate l) is here shown as having an oval form, but it might be of any appropriate contour adapted to correspond to the shape of the ornamental top shell of the button. Extending from either end ofthe plate are two arms or shank members a, 0 having theireXtremities c a shaped substantially like spearheads. After the blank B has been stamped to this form the metal of the plate 6 is sheared or cut through on the lines 0 o to extend the arms 0, c inwardly toward the center of the plate in the form shown. The arms or shank members 0, c are then bent up on a median line, represented by zz in Fig. 1, to cause them to stand in perpendicular relation to the face of the plate I), thus forming the double post C as shown in Fig. 2. After the arms 0, 0 have been bent as de scribed two openings 0 0 will be left in the plate 5, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and in some cases where it is desirable to make the structure as light as possible, particularly when it is being constructed from precious metals such as gold and silver, the blank can be still further cut away. For instance, Fig. 4 illustrates the top plate I) cut away at a, 0 to save the metal at these points and in this construction there are left two opposite arcuate rim portions 0 and 0 connected by the cross member ,0". This latterform, as shown in Fig. 4, is substantially as strong as that illustrated in Fig. 3 where the plate is left without cutting away the metal, and for most purposes is the preferred construction. It is to be noted that the form of the arms or members 0, 0 is such as to adapt one arm to fold against and overlap the other throughout a portion of their length when the two are bent up from the plate Z) as described. It will also be observed that about midway of the post or shank C, where the latter makes a bend or elbow, the two portions 0, c diverge to join the plate I) at some distance apart, thus forming a V-shaped opening 0 as illustrated in Fig. 6. In this way the post is reinforced at its narrowest part by two thicknesses of metal while at its joinder with the plate I) the arms 0, 0 are spread apart to stifien it against strains in the opposite direction. After the two arms 0, c' are bent up from the top plate 6, or during the same operation, their extremities c 0 are bent outward at right-angles to the main portions, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to form two ears which serve as a support for the bean D, see also Fig: 6. The bean D is constructed as a hollow, cup-shaped shell which is placed over the ears 0 0 and then formed or swaged up around the ends of the arms 0, 0. After the bean has been swaged tightly around the shank members the latter are held firmly together so that the post is practically as strong at this point as if it were made in a single piece of equal crosssection. The button is completed by attaching to the plate 72 an ornamental top shell E which is usually constructed of thin metal of hollow form having an annular rim 6 adapted to conform to the edge of the plate 6. The shell E is attached by curling its rim e over the edge of the plate I) in the well known manner generally employed in this art.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown the post members 0 and 0 channeled or stamped in concavo-convex form to render this part of the button more rigid. When the two members c and 0 are bent up to overlap the resulting structure is a substantially round, tubular post, as illustrated by the sectional view in Fig. 8. This method of constructing'the button makes the post more rigid and stiffens the shank of the button so that it is less liable to be bent or broken.

My improved method of constructing the button as above described results in a considerable saving in cost of stock and labor for the following reasons: In the first place the double or reinforced arrangement of the post provides a particularly rigid structure, so that it can be made from much lighter stock than usual and therefore a saving in material is effected which is most important where precious metals are concerned. As before explained, the whole framework of the button is made from one piece and is so simple and ingenious in design and arrangement that only a very few operations are necessary to complete it. Furthermore, all of these operations can be performed by dies or other tools with practically no hand labor, so that the manufacture of the button is particularly. economical in this respect. There are no parts to be attached by bending over lugs or other fastening means and allsoldering is eliminated. This last consideration is most important for several reasons: First, the operation of soldering must be done by hand and is therefore expensive; and in addition soldered joints cannot be used except with relatively heavy stock.

That is to say, when gold and silver stock is subjected to the heat of soldering it becomes annealed and loses its strength and stiffness. For this reason much heavier stock must be used for a soldered button than is required in the present construction and therefore my improved button is much cheaper to manufacture than buttons of the soldered type. As before stated, the ingenious manner of shaping and reinforcing the post or shank results in maximum strength and stiffness of this part with a minimum weight of stock, while, at the same time, giving a highly ornamental and pleasing appearance to the button.

It will be realized that various modifications might be made in the form and arrangement of my new button within the scope of the appended claims. The construction herein described might also be applied to similar articles for different uses.

Therefore, without limiting myself to the exact embodiment herein set forth, or to the purposes named, what I claim is 1. In a cuff button or the like, the combination of a skeleton framework formed from a sheet-metal blank and consisting of a top-plate having arms cut away therefrom and bent at right-angles to the plate to overlap each other and form a double post or shank, said arms being joined to the plate at a distance apart in the plane common to their overlapping faces, an ornamental shell attached to said top-plate and a shell-like bean attached to the opposite end of the post.

2. In a cuff button or the like, the combination with a skeleton framework formed from a sheet-metal blank and comprising a top-plate having two cooperating arms sheared from the metal of the plate and bent at right-angles thereto to overlap each other and form a double post or shank, said arms being spaced apart at their joinder with the plate in a plane common to their overlapping faces and the opposite extremities of the arms being bent outward in right-angled portions, a shell formed with an annular rim rolled over the edge of the top-plate to secure it thereto, and a hollow bean formed around the end portions of the arms.

3. A framework for cuff buttons or the like constructed from a sheet-metal blank and comprising a skeleton top-plate with two separate arms sheared from the metal of the plate and bent at right-angles thereto to overlap each other and form a double shank or post, said arms spaced apart at their joinder with the plate in a plane common to their overlapping faces, and ears at the extremities of the arms bent outwardly therefrom to adapt them to receive the hollow shell or bean of the button.

f. A framework for cuff buttons or the like constructed from a sheet-metal blank and comprising an appropriately-shaped top-plate with two separate curved arms sheared from said plate and each arm bent once on the median line of the plate to stand at substantially right-angles thereto and overlap the other arm to form a double post, said arms extending from the top-plate at a distance apart in the plane common to their overlapping faces.

5. A framework for cuff buttons or the like constructed from a sheet-metal blank arms channeled to form a hollow, substanand comprising a top-plate with arms tially-tubular post. 10 sheared therefrom and bent at substantially In testimony whereof I afiix my signature right-angles thereto to overlap each other in presence of two Witnesses.

and form a double shank, said arms eX- CHARLES L. WEBSTER. tending from the top-plate at a distance Witnesses:

apart in the plane common to their over- PETER J. FITZGERALD,

lapping faces and the adjacent faces of the HERBERT K. ALLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

